This portrayal shows Ruyter with closed eyes and his head turned three-quarters to the left. He has an imperial beard and moustache, along with a wart on his left cheek. Wavy hair falls to his shoulders, framing his face, while a finely pleated collar emerges just above the edge of his armour. The bust ends just below the neck, emphasising a solemn presence. Rombout Verhulst sculpted this clay portrait while preparing the design for Ruyter’s grand tomb monument in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. To ensure accuracy, he studied painted portraits of the admiral, carefully shaping the model to reflect his likeness. Verhulst kept this preparatory study in his possession until his death.